Brits among 2,000 climbers stranded on Mount Everest because of fog

Rex

Around 2,000 hikers have been left stranded in the foothills of Mount Everest for four days after thick fog caused the cancellation of flights in and out of the area.

The climbers, along with Nepalese guides and porters, at and around Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, Nepal.

The airport sits at an altitude of 9,200 feet and offers an intensely nerve-jangling take-off when the runway gives way to a cliff with a 1000-metre drop.

But passengers who have been sleeping at the airport and in tents and dining halls at Lukla Hotels for four days due to heavy fog, would probably rather face the stomach-churning moment than spend any more nights stuck there.

According to the Mirror, small helicopters managed to transport some of the trekkers today, but bad weather is inhibiting efforts.

Lukla is the gateway for hikers and mountaineers heading to Everest and its surrounding mountains. Many people start and finish their treks here, where the airport is literally carved into the mountainside.

Utsav Raj Kharel, chief of Lukla's Tenzing Hillary Airport, told the Daily Mail: 'Visibility is almost nil. Fog and clouds have covered the entire area making flights by fixed-wing small aircraft impossible.

'Though a few small private helicopters had picked some tourists from nearby Sirke village, they are inadequate to clear the rush.'

Weather experts for the Kathmandu area said the conditions could continue for the next couple of days, after which authorities will make arrangements to rescue the tourists with big helicopters.

Lukla Airport actually features in our world's worst airport round-up - discover who else found themselves on the list:

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